In America from 1999 to 2006 11% of all deaths of people aged from twelve to nineteen years were as a result of suicide. A recent study has found that the risk for suicidal ideation is 2.4 times greater among youth who experienced peer victimization, such as bullying, in the past year compared with youth…

On Saturday the 10-11-12 at around 10.15 pm a taxi driver collected two male passengers from Fitzroy and drove them to Belgrave. The passengers pre-paid their fare and then fell asleep in the back seat. Upon arriving at the destination the two men awoke and as the taxi driver was giving them their change they…

Australia has been described as being in “the acute phase of a chronic disease”, and that chronic disease is violent crime. Like any disease, unless treated early it can spread, from the domestically violent household to violent street gang behaviour and subsequently more serious crimes. Early intervention programs with children, their parents and schools are…

Many businesses are currently paying very large amounts of money for Employer Assistance Programs (EAPs) to provide such services as Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) to employees when they can in fact be provided free of charge through our organisation. Similar to services offered by EAPs, our crisis intervention involves customised programs to meet the…

On Friday the 02-11-12 at around 1.50 pm a seventy-year-old woman was struck in the back and had money stolen while she was withdrawing cash from a Frankston ATM. The male assailant is described as aged in his forties and of slim build. The elderly victim reported since asking her bank to install CCTV where…

On Monday the 12-11-12 at around 1.00 am a twenty-year-old masked assailant with a gun entered the McDonald’s Restaurant in Mulgrave threatening staff and customers and demanding money and wallets. As the assailant was leaning over the counter taking money from the tills he was tackled from behind by two customers. The assailant was then…

On the 12-11-12 at around 1.40 am a twenty-nine-year-old man was walking to a friend’s home in Yarraville when he was confronted by up to six young adult males. The gang of males proceeded to physically assault the victim who sustained minor facial injuries before managing to flee and hide. The victim then flagged down…

Written by Ms L.A. I have been abused all my life but have never resorted to drugs or alcohol or any other addiction as sooner or later, you have to face your issues. What I have learnt from my experiences, it is not the event/s that happen in your life but how you deal with…

Crime is not culture or gender specific and it effects all in society, not just the direct victim of the crime. Thinking that crime only happens to others and doing nothing to take precautionary measures makes someone very vulnerable to crime. The cost of crime in enormous and includes the psychological and personal effects on…

A thirty-four-year-old female collapsed at Flemington on Tuesday the 06-11-12 about twenty minutes after drinking champagne that was bought by someone she had just met and she required to be resuscitated by paramedics. A second female also claimed on YouTube to being drugged at the Melbourne Cup. For financial support and professional advice call Victims…

On the 08-11-12 a twenty-nine-year-old male from Shepparton was charged with assaulting police and resisting arrest after fleeing from his motor vehicle that was intercepted in Mooroopna. The assailant had an outstanding warrant and is expected to be remanded in custody. If you have been the victim of a physical assault while at work call…

The Ringwood Magistrates Court has recently opened “safe room” where victims of family violence can wait away from offenders. Victims who are forced to wait in the same court area as the offender for their matter to be called often find themselves being threatened and intimidated. Community Law Australia representative, Hugh de Kretser, said that…

Just as Crime Stoppers was about to announce its financial demise this week due to a lack of funding the Victorian State Government came to its rescue allocating money. Since its inception Crime Stoppers has led to 60,000 arrests with over 14,000 calls received recently in the Jill Meagher murder case. The use of public…

On the 08-11-12 two men aged forty-one and thirty-five years from Kurunjang were arrested in Richmond charged with five bag snatching robberies in Maribyrnong, Taylors Lakes, Melbourne CBD, Preston and Deer Park committed between the 24-10-11 and the 08-11-12. Both offenders were remanded in custody. For financial support and professional advice call Victims of Crime…

Victims of crime, such as victims of an armed robbery at a workplace, are entitled to seek financial compensation through the state government under the VOCA Act. For example, the average amount of financial compensation given to the victim of an armed robbery in Victoria is around $3,300.00. We assist victims to access this compensation…

A “critical incident” is any event that causes an unusually intense stress reaction, such as an armed robbery or physical assault. Often the distress a victim experiences after a critical incident limits their ability to cope, impairs their ability to adjust and negatively impacts on their work and social life. Critical Incident Stress Debriefing is…

Armed robbery is a serious crime that can have a negative impact on individual victims and employees of businesses that may be targeted. People who work in locations vulnerable to armed robbery can experience significant emotional trauma if present during an armed robbery. The most recent analyses in 2008 of the victim-based National Armed Robbery…

On Saturday the 03-11-12 at around 8.30 pm a nineteen-year-old female alighted from a tram in Camberwell when she was followed by a male of Asian appearance aged in his twenties. The assailant then grabbed the young victim from behind indecently assaulting her. The victim screamed and defended herself and managed to escape. Police believe…

The annual report of the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT) for the for the period 2011- 2012 has showed a steady increase in the number of applications annually over the past six years. According to the Chief Magistrate ‘the steadily increasing application numbers is a testament to the work that has been done to…

On Wednesday the 31-10-12 at around 6.30 pm a shot was fired from a moving vehicle into a house in Broadmeadows narrowly missing a ten-year-old girl. A white utility was seen in the area at the time. It was the second drive-by shooting in Melbourne this week. On Monday the 05-11-12 there was also a…